Could You Teach Me How to Dance?
by FearlessTiger
Summary: When Sakura's first date with the mighty Uchiha Itachi is threatened to be compromised by his displeased father, Sasuke comes to the rescue in a sweet and fluffy endeavor to help both his beloved brother and his dear teammate. Because there is no fluff like overfluff for Christmas. ItaSaku, and a lot of cute SasuSaku friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello! I am a faraway friend who's been too busy studying for exams to actually have time to sleep, let alone write. Either way, holiday is coming, so not only do I have some free time, but I'm also feeling particularly soft, because, hey, it's Christmas. This is going to be a two-shot (unless I get crazy like I did with this chapter, since this story was ****supposed**** to be a one-shot) and the next chapter should be up by next week, unless something happens and I have to flee to Honolulu and change my name. Now, if you're willing to read my pointless 'behind the screen' ramblings, go ahead, you'll get a cookie. If not, then enjoy reading and leave a review if you want to make me a happy girl.**

_**Pairings:**_** The romantic pairing is ItaSaku, though in a very early stage. The second chapter will be about the relationship between my two favorite shinobi, while this one is a very fluffy friendship SasuSaku, that I've been craving to read, have not found, therefore decided to write myself. Something is terribly wrong with the approach concerning Sasuke and Sakura: they are either portrayed as lovers or as enemies to the death. I have not found one story that focuses on their friendship. If you have, **_**please**_** tell me, because I would die to read it.**

_**Captain Obvious:**_** This story is AU, where the Uchiha massacre has never happened. If I hadn't made this non-massacre, then Sasuke would be the ultimate idiot seeking revenge and not the sweetheart I made him to be. **

_**Disclaimer:**_** There is a **_**reason **_**I am writing fanfiction, and that is I don't own Naruto. Yet.**

_Could You Teach Me How to Dance?_

_Chapter 1_

Haruno Sakura was a fearsome and courageous kunoichi of Chunin rank, the apprentice of the mighty Godaime Hokage and the female member of the infamous Team 7. However fiery her temper was, the fifteen years old teenager was known for her ability to remain calm and focused in dire situations, concentrating solely on finding a logical solution to any unexpected issue.

Therefore, it was only natural for Konoha's cheerful citizens to turn their heads in utter awe when said kunoichi stomped into the Yamanaka Flower Shop with an expression that, dare they whisper, _screamed_ panic.

''Ino!'' Sakura yelled, her voice surely one octave higher than usual, as her hurried and nowhere near graceful steps carried her towards the beautifully decorated counter. As a matter of fact, the entire flower shop was thoroughly prepared for the approaching holiday, variously colored tinsel flattering the gorgeous flowers that were procured daily, and a Christmas tree standing proudly in all its glory on the left side of the shop.

Not that Sakura appeared to be concerned.

A blonde girl of the rosette's age lifted her surprised gaze from the magazine she was currently reading, clearly baffled at seeing her best friend in the state she was in. While it was not unusual for Sakura to become feral in a temper fit, the kunoichi was obviously not angry, but completely and utterly _terrified_. And that _was_ severely unusual.

''Sakura?'' Ino questioned cautiously, expecting an Akatsuki member to barge through the doors any minute, with how peculiar Sakura was behaving. ''What's wrong?''

Gasping so loudly and unevenly that Ino was certain she was having a panic attack, Sakura promptly leaped over the counter, tackling her best friend whose kunoichi instincts had yet to kick in.

''Ino, I need help!'' the rosette exclaimed, her voice muffled by Ino's suddenly stiff shoulder. The blonde's brain went in overdrive, trying to find out what the _heck_ had happened to her childhood friend.

Ino first thought of her teammates, obviously. Naruto was almost instantly out of the picture, since Sakura could never be afraid of him for any reason, plus he was away on a solo mission he had technically begged for at the current time. Sasuke was a more valid option, but the blonde girl shook her head quickly after some thought. He might have been a prick (and a very sexy one, might she add), but never in his life would he bring his teammate in such a state. He would, more likely, be busy killing the inducer of her terror. Slowly.

And then it struck her with such a force that she felt impossibly stupid for not realizing sooner.

''Sakura, is it Itachi?'' Ino asked softly, grabbing her hyperventilating friend (she was _definitely_ having a panic attack) by the shoulders and forcing her to look into her baby blue orbs. The blonde did not know Sasuke's older brother very well, but what she did know was that he had a remarkable talent of scaring people out of their wits.

However, since he had invited Sakura to the Uchiha Christmas Festival as his _date_, Ino had assumed he had a soft spot for his little brother's best friend. Heck, she had transformed this small fact into Konoha's biggest gossip, so Ino was going to get, for lack of a more expressive word, _pissed_ if the mighty ANBU Captain proved himself to actually be a sick pedophile, a complete jackass, or whatever was needed to bring Sakura on the verge of insanity. After all, the fact that a famous man of age _twenty _had openly expressed his interest in a young kunoichi of only _fifteen_ was accepted because of his reputation, and nothing else.

Feeling the murderous intent radiating off her current mental support, Sakura shook her head vigorously. ''Not _him_, Ino,'' she tried to explain. ''His.. His _parents_.''

The statement left Ino at a loss for words once again. His parents? What could his parents have done? As far as Ino was aware, Itachi had made it painfully clear to Mikoto and Fugaku that, when his personal matters were concerned, the clan had no power over him whatsoever. She remembered they had disapproved of him bringing their youngest son's teammate to their festival, as his date no less, and Itachi had calmly told them, in his formal and exquisite vocabulary, to _fuck off_. It had amused Ino to tears at the time and Sakura had walked with her head held higher than the sky for three days straight at this display of possessiveness and sheer masculine dominance, but, now, Ino began to doubt it should have seemed such a positive occurrence. It sounded like Fugaku and Mikoto were aiming for revenge.

The blonde teenager swallowed. This could not be good. ''What did those two old geezers do, Forehead?'' she asked, trying to humorously lighten the mood for her friend's sake.

Sakura was most definitely not amused. ''They sent me a message at home to tell me to wear something I would be comfortable in, and that they can't wait to see me dancing their _traditional dances_,'' the girl groaned at the end of her sentence, hanging her head as if her life were over.

In Ino's humble opinion, it pretty much was. Sakura was an absolute failure when it came to dancing in the first place, but the two sly bastards were going to humiliate her further by forcing her to participate in their _traditional_ dances, that no soul outside the Uchiha clan knew. It was simply cruel.

The kunoichi in Ino finally emerged, though, and she began thinking of a solution, since there _had_ to be one.

All of Konoha, from the baby civilian to the Hokage herself, knew of the dangerous crush Sakura had on Itachi and the even more perilous one he seemed to reciprocate. They were the most famous almost-couple in the entire village, all thanks to Ino herself, which was probably why the mighty ANBU Captain always eyed her disapprovingly, Sakura became furious whenever she was reminded of the fact and Sasuke avoided her even more than usual, obviously siding with his two precious siblings.

Either way, they were no secret.

Therefore, the rosette Chunin could not possibly voice her sudden refusal, especially after having accepted Itachi's offer so enthusiastically. She could not allow herself to be humiliated, either, so there had to be a way to avoid any event that involved Sakura moving her clumsy body to music.

Ino could only think of one thing. ''Talk to Itachi,'' she advised. It made sense. He had been so rapid to defend her in front of his exigent parents, and Ino doubted the elegant sex god – err, ANBU Captain – was going to allow any cheap stab made at his newfound crush's address.

To her surprise and annoyance, Sakura shook her head, and the blonde suspected the appearance of frustrated tears in the kunoichi's wet emerald gaze. ''I can't! He's away on a mission with Shisui-san and will only be back tomorrow evening!''

Ino snorted. Tomorrow evening? That was exactly when the damned festival was scheduled! Sakura was so prone to getting into trouble that Ino was surprised she actually still lived to be able to heal Naruto and Sasuke on their missions!

Prepared to actually stomp into the Uchiha compound herself and give Fugaku a piece of the Yamanaka clan for completely destroying her best friend's first date, Ino stopped herself so suddenly that she was certain she'd torn a muscle in her leg.

Naruto and Sasuke.

Naruto and _Sasuke_.

''Forehead, you're the biggest idiot I know.''

Sakura turned from panicked to confused and then to furious. ''Ino-pig, what-''

The blonde would not have it, however, so she lifted a hand to stop the imminent flow of insults. ''Calm your tits for a moment, Billboard Brow, and tell me who your best friend is.''

The medic nin gave her a perplexed look. ''You are,'' she said confusedly, wondering where Ino was aiming.

To her surprise, Ino shook her head and grimaced as if Sakura were the most oblivious creature to ever live. ''Your _best friend_, Sakura. One you would die for.''

For a moment, Sakura felt insulted. Did Ino think she was not worth dying for? And still, the look in Ino's blue orbs urged her to tell a different name, so she thought of one person she would throw her life out the window for in a heartbeat.

''Naruto?''

The blonde kunoichi banged her head on the counter. Okay, she knew Sakura loved Naruto to death and beyond, but he was completely irrelevant to the issue at hand! Ah, the idiot…

''Sakura, your first love,'' she finally said, giving up on the guessing game and deeming it useless.

That did it, though. Sakura's eyes softened for a moment, but soon returned to their confused gaze. ''Sasuke-kun? What about him?'' she asked, ignoring her inner self's incoherent grumblings about how unnecessary it was for Ino to try to make her guess the person instead of just telling her and finishing the messy business.

Ino sighed patiently, to her friend's annoyance, and smiled tolerantly. ''Sasuke, Sakura, is an Uchiha. He is also in the village, and if he loves you enough to clean your house and make dinner when you come from the hospital half dead, then I'm sure he'll find no problem with teaching your left legs how to dance,'' the blonde explained, watching proudly as Sakura's face lit up immediately. As much of an infuriating gossip as Ino was, she always had the best solution for anything boy-related, the rosette realized, smiling brightly at her best friend.

''Ino, why did we ever break apart?'' Sakura asked softly as she hugged the kunoichi, knowing she would welcome the display of affection they rarely shared – they were still rivals, after all. With a melodious laugh, Ino patted Sakura on her back gently. ''Because we were two lovesick idiots, that's why.''

Breaking apart after a small moment of childish giggling, Ino began to usher her friend towards the exit with a knowing smile. ''Now go, Forehead, and woo that hot Captain tomorrow with the dirty moves his brother's gonna teach you,'' she teased, laughing as Sakura turned red as a tomato.

''Ino!'' she hissed, infuriated that her friend could even insinuate that she would ever play dirty, with _either_ Uchiha sibling.

She was thrown out of the flower shop before she could lecture her hormonal comrade further, but did not miss the yell Ino threw back at her as she sassily walked back to her counter.

''Come back to me un-kissed after tomorrow, and I'm arranging a nice Valentine's Day for you with Lee!''

Sakura sighed. Ino made it sound as if she _didn't_ want to be kissed by the Uchiha prodigy she happened to be crushing on, but she felt she knew better. He may have verbally indicated that he reciprocated her feelings, but she doubted he would make any sort of physical move on her. Though, at her age, she was considered an adult among shinobi and her parents were more than excited for her to be admired to such an extent by _the_ Uchiha Itachi, she knew him enough from their previous encounters to be able to say that he was not fond of physical contact with another individual. Sasuke had been the same as a Genin, even if now, if they were not seen walking with their arms linked, it meant they were upset with each other. So, she was familiar with that kind of attitude and it meant, without a doubt, that Sakura was going to have her first kiss at a much later time.

For now, though, she decided, she had an Uchiha teammate to find.

Sasuke frankly thought himself to be a good person. Unlike Naruto and Sakura, he disliked having numerous friends and had long ago decided that the two of them were more than enough to keep him occupied.

That did not, under any circumstances, mean that he was not devoted to them like he was to his own flesh and blood. Sasuke was, most definitely, not a verbal person, unlike his older brother who had absolutely no problem with telling people exactly what he thought in the elegant way of his. No, Sasuke acted more than he thought or spoke, which meant that an infuriating comment from any individual was answered with a powerful fist or, in special cases, a remarkable Chidori, and pleasant company, such as the one of his two best friends and older brother, was rewarded accordingly, depending on the situation.

He had no restraint in defending his older sibling from their occasionally impossible father, and he even went as far as to take some clan duties upon himself just to offer Itachi some well deserved free time.

He did not refuse the Dobe's frequent invitations to Ichiraku, and did not mind paying for half of his meals, since he already considered his clan to be richer than it should have been.

He actually found it quite self-satisfactory to spend his Saturday nights with Sakura, falling asleep in a tangled mess on her couch after cleaning up her small apartment and making dinner. Saturdays were busy for her, with a full day shift at the hospital, and it was no problem for him to stop by.

As a result, Sasuke believed he could very well grant himself the day off, especially since the Christmas Festival was scheduled for tomorrow. There was no Naruto to pester him to 'hang out' the entire twenty-four hours, so the Uchiha was content to indulge in some well deserved meditation in Sakura's apartment, knowing that she never minded him or the Dobe staying in her home.

He simply refused to head to the Uchiha compound, where his infuriating father was bound to be grumbling about his brother. Sasuke was in no position to step between them and he was well aware that Itachi could maneuver the situation perfectly fine, but the subject of their continuous argument was not something Sasuke had no connection with. Quite the contrary, as a matter of fact.

Ever since his older brother invited Sakura for the festival, she was the sole subject of a conversation he was forbidden from joining. And it angered him tremendously. Sakura was his teammate _and_ best friend, and he found no problem whatsoever with her bonding with Itachi. Frankly, he had seen it coming. His brother had always had a sweet tooth, and Sakura was the epitome of sweetness, with the slightest spice. As for the kunoichi, Sasuke wondered why she had even bothered with himself when his brother had always been there. Itachi was an utter gentleman, and also displayed a possessive side (apparently), that a girl such as her could simply not resist.

They had also begun to share sickeningly deep discussions about the philosophical side of the world that even Sasuke had lost his own head while listening. They both were intelligent, brave and strong. The Uchiha actually had to slap himself when he began thinking of pink-haired, Sharingan wielding nephews. He was becoming his own mother, and it was frightening.

It was then that the front door opened and, when none of the meticulously set traps were activated, Sasuke knew his kunoichi teammate had entered her home. As different as she was from Naruto in terms of being ridiculously loud, he knew he could still not meditate any longer in her presence – not that he had any desire to continue, either way, with the dangerous toll his thoughts had taken.

Before he could step out of her bedroom and into the hallway to greet her, the door was kicked open and only then did the Chunin in Sasuke sense that her chakra was flaring. Looking at her gasping petite form from where he was towering over her, he lifted one eyebrow. Had he done anything to upset her lately? He could not remember.

''Sasuke-kun, thank goodness,'' she managed to choke out when she saw him. This only confused him further. Had she been looking for him? Why? She looked like she'd been running. Was she being targeted? Akatsuki?

Sakura seemed to notice his paranoid tendencies take over, so she smiled up at him with a small shake of her head. ''No, nobody has been after my head for the past month,'' she said jokingly, yet he only caught the serious part of her statement, that said there was no danger. His form visibly turned less tense, but he did send her a questioning look for the state she was in.

The rosette fidgeted before sitting down on the edge of her small bed, which confused him. Sakura had stopped fidgeting around him for a long time, and she only did it when she was about tell him something he would not like to hear. He kept silent though, waiting for her to elaborate.

''Err... Are you busy today, Sasuke-kun?'' she beat around the bush. It was foolish of her to feel nervous around the person who was practically living in her home to get away from his own family, but she couldn't help herself. She was about to ask him to teach her how to _dance_. Even the thought that she was horrible at such a feminine thing was embarrassing.

The Uchiha did not even bother to hide his emotions. He gave her a serious _are you kidding me_ look. She had not acted so peculiar since she'd been trying to ask him out on dates when they were twelve. And that could not be the case right now, because, thanks to her bimbo friend, the entire Konoha knew of her infatuation with his brother.

A frightening thought crossed his mind. ''Sakura, there is no way in hell I am teaching you how to kiss,'' he blurted out. It sounded downright stupid, he knew, but he simply could not put it below that unpredictable vixen that happened to be his heart sister to ask for something like that just to avoid feeling awkward in case his brother thought it would be a good idea to try it out with her the next day.

Sasuke's assumptions were thankfully proven incorrect when his teammate choked on her own saliva at his rash statement. ''W-wha…? Sasuke-kun!'' she yelled at him in sheer embarrassment, turning an interesting shade of beetroot red.

However, Sasuke was not ashamed of himself in the slightest. He shrugged at her nonchalantly. ''It had to be made clear,'' he said, fighting the smirk off his face when his friend blushed even further. The fight became even more difficult when the stuttering commenced.

''I was just… I would never… Really, Sasuke-kun! You're… Gah!'' she screamed in frustration, standing up on her feet and stomping towards the living room. The damn Sasuke, as if she was not embarrassed enough! He just had to blurt that out! As she threw herself on the couch with a huff, Sakura swore he had a dirtier mind than Ino.

Back in the bedroom, Sasuke sighed patiently, sticking his hands in his pockets as he followed the temperamental girl into the living room. He supposed her little blowup was nothing unexpected. Whenever she got upset with _Naruto_, she only punched the daylights out of him and then they were laughing together like a couple of retards again. When she got angry with _him_, however, this happened. She would stomp outside wherever they were and not talk to him until he lowered himself enough to grit out an apology, at the insistences of a particularly annoying Dobe and, lately, his own brother. He sometimes wished she'd just throw her fists at him and end the tirade.

However, she had not run away crying, so he decided it was not so bad. When he set foot inside the living room and saw her actually waiting for him instead of sobbing and yelling at him to go away, he mentally sighed in relief.

As for what the heck she wanted…

''Sakura, why exactly do you need me?'' he asked smoothly, sitting down next to her on the couch with a neutral expression, completely ignoring her previous outburst and what had caused it.

To his increasing irritation, she flushed and began fidgeting again. What could be so bad? Surely she did not want him to teach her how to give a blo-

''Could you teach me how to dance?'' she asked so quickly he barely caught her words. He did, though, and internally hired an army of shinobi to destroy his idiotic teenage hormones for what he had almost just thought. Of course she would desire something as innocent as that. She was Sakura. He was going to kill Naruto for corrupting him, and then he'd move to that perverted sensei of his. _Both_ perverted sensei of his, since Kakashi must have been a bad influence also.

However, before he could do that, he had a blushing kunoichi to instruct, apparently. He was still confused, though. Surely she knew his brother would never force her to do something she did not wish to. If she didn't want to dance, no one was going to make her. He told her just that.

To his surprise, though, Sakura shook her head. ''I know he wouldn't, Sasuke-kun, but…'' she trailed off, as if unsure of whether she should tell him or not.

Sasuke was not a patient individual. ''But what, Sakura?'' he pressed her, having almost snapped at her continuous avoidance. The cautious look she gave him did not help, either.

''You're going to get angry,'' she warned him, glaring when he snorted almost rudely. With a roll of his eyes, he met her gaze with an equally intense stare. ''Try me.''

She only hesitated for a second, before shrugging, daring him to start yelling or destroying things in her home. ''Your parents sent me a message this morning, telling me to dress comfortably so I could better dance your traditional dances,'' she explained at last, watching him closely.

As expected, he did begin to fume at his _father's_ (because he knew his mother, and she adored Sakura) nerve. However, when she glared at him dangerously, he contained the set of curses and possible Chidori that he desperately wished to direct at home. How could his father do this to his oldest son, who was a certified prodigy, having become an ANBU Captain at the frail age of thirteen, was way beyond Sasuke, but he could never stand to see any of his teammates humiliated, _along_ with his beloved brother. Because, if Sakura ended up making a fool of herself, Itachi was going to be made fun of by the entire clan for months and even years to come. Not to mention his dear friend becoming the subject of ridicule for the entire village… _Not on his watch_.

Comforting himself with the thought that Itachi was going to oh-so-elegantly _lose it_ when he found out about his father's shameless plot against him and his possible first girlfriend, Sasuke threw the kunoichi beside him a breathtaking smirk, knowing fully that, to this day, it still made her blush; he lifted himself off the couch and stretched with the grace of a feline, before reaching to lift his particularly red little cherry blossom as well. It was no secret to him that she was absolutely horrible at dancing. With her reputation of being a chaotic fighter, it was no surprise at all, either. However, Sasuke always liked a challenge.

Sakura stared at his pale hand indecisively, before taking it nervously. It had not occurred to her during her conversation with Ino earlier that morning that learning how to dance was going to feel so tremendously shameful. As a human of the female persuasion, it was generally expected of her to be graceful and delicate – even on the battlefield. Most kunoichi used different sorts of weaponry to fight, undoubtedly to preserve their beauty for more subtle missions. She, however, fought with her fists and was a rampaging monster in battle. She was nowhere _near_ graceful. For a moment, she wondered if a gentleman such as Itachi was going to be repulsed by her fighting style.

Almost as if sensing her utter lack of confidence, the Uchiha pulled her up faster than she could comprehend and she was soon met by one of _those_ smirks, the ones that were meant only for her, Naruto and, occasionally, his brother. The fact that she had managed to become Sasuke's best friend while all she'd used to do as a Genin was to annoy him with her unhealthy obsession did lift her spirits slightly, and she smiled back at him affectionately. She knew she would never trade him or Naruto for the world.

Breaking his gaze from hers, Sasuke turned his head to look out her small window. A quick look at the sky told him it was only late morning, so he gave a small pleased grunt: he had almost an entire day to teach the little klutz before him his family's traditional dances. Knowing her, if he pushed the right buttons, she was going to urge herself to not only learn, but _ace_ all those moves. A day was fine with Sasuke.

Sakura gasped when she felt her teammate's arm snaking around her waist, the other hand that was holding hers being lifted to her shoulders' level. She looked up at him uncertainly, only to find him biting the inside of his cheek in a poor attempt to restrain himself from chuckling at her utterly confused expression. She found it rather rude of him, actually, but she let it pass, since Sasuke laughing was a rare occurrence as it was.

''Your free hand is supposed to be on my shoulder, Sakura,'' he finally said, deciding he could laugh at her later, when her knees were not so extremely close to his midsection, or rather to what was below it.

With a bashful nod of her head, Sakura put her hand in place, and let out an involuntary yelp when he began to move. She certainly wanted to _stop_ and receive concrete verbal instructions before beginning the practical part of the lesson, but he appeared to want to have none of it. He moved her back and forth, and she was only capable of taking small, shy steps, in the attempt to at least maintain their stance correct.

''Sasuke-kun, I don't understand a thing,'' she muttered, and then he finally stopped and looked down at her. He gave her a funny look, and then she realized he was having _way_ too much fun.

''You're not supposed to understand, Sakura. You're supposed to take my lead,'' he explained, and it was too much for even him to hold his chuckle in at the expression she put on her face. He began to doubt she even knew what following the lead meant in dancing.

Sasuke let out a small sigh, before taking only one step away from the kunoichi, so that she could look down at their feet when they moved. ''We'll try again now,'' he told her, ''and you'll move in the way I direct you.''

Taking the hint to look down and observe their footing, Sakura nodded. On cue, Sasuke gently led her back and forth, slightly swaying. After a few moments of the same movement being repeated over and over again, Sakura felt she was beginning to catch the rhythm, even though there was no music, and suddenly gained a bit of confidence.

Until she stepped on his foot, that is.

''Gomen!'' she squeaked instantly, breaking away from him and promptly landing on the couch in her rush. Sasuke, however, gave her a nonplussed look.

''Sakura, it happens,'' he said nonchalantly, pulling her back up. She obviously was overreacting (wasn't she always?) since he had expected to leave with sore toes, and had no problem with it. Besides, while not being a feather, she wasn't heavy, either.

''But-''

''Hush,'' he cut her off shamelessly, continuing the interrupted dance and, when he deemed it appropriate, initiating new movements that she remembered faster than expected.

When he was certain she had the waltz mastered, he moved to the more complicated tango, silently cursing his clan for deciding to adopt foreign styles as their own when he found himself picking his friend up from the floor numerous times. What his parents proudly called 'traditional' were, as his brother had secretly informed him, dances inspired by foreign cultures that had been slightly altered by their clan to fit the geographical region they lived in. It was tempting to stomp into his father's office and accuse him of being a plagiarist, but Sasuke knew better than to betray his older sibling's trust.

To his pleasant surprise, though, Sakura proved herself to be quite stubborn, and she pushed herself until she learned all the complicated patterns by heart; at one point, he actually had to scold her for having taken the lead herself.

By early evening, Sasuke had the petite klutz laughing besides herself while they repeated the very last dance his father had plagiarized – err, passed down from generation to generation – and he was too busy counting the steps for her to care that her neighbors were throwing a fit, thinking they both were drunk.

''One, two, three – Sakura, pay attention – one, two, three, turn. One, two, three, change direction, one, two, three,'' he kept mumbling in her ear as he had for the past hours. Even though she was exceeding his expectations when it came to memorizing the steps, he had noticed that she had difficulties maintaining a steady rhythm, and had a tendency to rush ahead of her partner. Therefore, he found himself voicing the rhythm for her _and_ deciding that they were inarguably going to have tomatoes for dinner so he could soothe his hurting mouth.

Sasuke accidentally ceased voicing the steps for one moment, and Sakura instantly lost her pace, making him sigh. ''Sakura, I think we should stop,'' he said, releasing her waist as he said so.

Her pout was adorable, but not at all convincing. ''But, Sasuke-kun, I can't even follow a rhythm!'' she argued, also aware of her issue. Sasuke, however, thought of his older brother and how possessive (_frighteningly_ possessive) he was, and instantly knew that Itachi was going to enjoy teaching his little crush further. Sasuke's job was done – he wanted dinner, since the little pest that happened to be his best friend had prevented him, with all her determination, from eating lunch. Sasuke was going to break his own hand and eat it, considering how hungry he was.

''You'll be fine,'' he told her, already heading towards the kitchen. He didn't need to hear her steps to know she was following. She must have been starving as well.

Opening her refrigerator shamelessly, Sasuke contently found the bottle of tomato juice she always had prepared for him and drank half of it in one movement, before grabbing the first edible element he placed his hand on, which happened to be a plate of tempura leftovers. Without bothering to warm it or even remember his decision to eat tomatoes as a meal, Sasuke practically dug in, deliberately ignoring Sakura's amused giggles as he did so. He could tell from the taste it was her mother's cooking, and Haruno Mebuki was known for rivaling his own mother in terms of proficiency in the kitchen.

Mebuki always sent her only daughter food, despite the fact Sakura had chosen to move out of her parents' home once she became a Chunin, as it was customary. Sasuke, for one, was grateful for that fact, since both he and Naruto technically _lived_ with Sakura, for obvious reasons: Naruto, to get far away from the sheer mess that was his own apartment, and Sasuke, because of his frustrating father. Sakura was a complete and utter _disaster_ in the kitchen and the two males were no better, so they fed themselves with Mebuki's cooking and Ichiraku ramen.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke noticed Sakura nibbling on a small umeboshi, with three onigiri by her side. Finally able to think straight due to the tempura he had devoured in less than three minutes, he eyed her expectantly: he _knew_ when she was internally debating whether to tell him something or not, and that was one of those moments.

Catching his gaze, Sakura realized she'd been caught. She sighed and began twirling a lock of pink hair that had grown to reach her collarbone. At one point, he had thought she was going to let it grow out like she had before, but soon realized afterwards that this exact length suited her best.

''Sasuke-kun, what do you think I should wear?'' she finally blurted out.

It was _very_ tempting for him to snort. Was Haruno Sakura really asking him this? It had been three years since she'd last been concerned with her appearance at this point, and a part of Sasuke realized that the girl before him had it _bad_ for his brother.

He sighed in response. ''Sakura, Nii-san made it crystal clear that he likes you. You don't have to doll up.''

Sakura looked annoyed by his answer. ''I know that, you idiot!''

Somehow, he doubted it.

''I simply don't know what I'm _supposed_ to wear at an Uchiha Festival,'' she huffed, chewing on her misfortunate onigiri hardly than necessary.

Sakura had always been good at making excuses, and this was no exception, but the Uchiha was no fool. She was worried, and, if he knew her and his brother well enough to dare say it, Itachi had somehow managed to make her feel inadequate. It was no surprise, considering his imposing figure and his tendency to be formal even with individuals that were relatively close to him, but Sasuke had seen the way he acted around Sakura. He was even more pleasant than he was with Sasuke himself, and, from what the teenager could tell, his brother had taken a strong liking to Sakura, especially after hearing of her quite infamous battle with Sasori.

Only a person like Itachi could possibly _like_ being told and retold that tale, when Sasuke and Naruto felt like digging up the Akatsuki member's corpse, bringing him back to life and torturing him slowly for nearly killing their teammate. Naruto, at least, had not even wanted to hear the story – he was perfectly content with knowing she had won, period. Sasuke, however, had reached the battlefield in time to see the battle ending, and Elder Chiyo pulling a _poisoned_ sword out of Sakura's abdomen. That had been the first time he'd turned feral since his first Chunin Exams.

His brother, though? He'd been most impressed and had deemed her worthy of being publicly congratulated by Itachi himself. After that, Sasuke supposed, chemistry worked its magic, and the two began seeing each other more often, to his and Naruto's amusement. Next thing they knew, after continuously being teased and snickered behind, Itachi had asked her to join the festival as his partner for the upcoming evening, which only caused the teasing to become even more frequent – and Uchiha Mikoto to start making plans for grandchildren when Fugaku wasn't nearby.

Either way, Sasuke thought, his teammate was much too anxious about the festival. His mother had always believed she was the most adorable thing to ever be born, Itachi obviously was severely crushing on her, and there was Sasuke himself. Sakura was acting as if he weren't going to be there as well. Besides, if she really was so terrified of Fugaku, all she had to do was tell his brother – from what Sasuke had witnessed, Itachi was an extremely private man and knew perfectly well how to put his father in his place and still remain his favorite son.

As a result, Sakura's worry for her _clothing_, of all things, was most definitely unfounded.

''A yukata or a kimono will do, Sakura,'' he said in a bored tone. ''And a layer of confidence might help too,'' he couldn't help but add.

The glare she sent him went ignored, as his statement went unanswered. Sasuke was content with sipping his delicious tomato juice, yet Sakura looked ready to burst.

Struggling to find something to say that did not address her insecurities, the rosette sighed. ''I miss Naruto,'' she admitted quietly.

It was true, as well. He had already been gone for a week and a half, and, while she was well aware that the blond was technically undefeatable, Sakura still worried. Also, while she did not, by any means, mind the Uchiha's company, it was simply not the same without their bickering, the bruises Sakura healed after inflicting them herself, and the way she proudly walked between her boys, holding both their hands, as they made their way to Ichiraku Ramen.

Sasuke grunted in response. ''One would think the silence that comes with his lack of presence would be pleasant,'' he said, and Sakura knew it was the closest thing to an agreement she was going to get. She smiled sadly.

''It actually feels rather lonely.''

''Hn.''

As much as Sasuke hated to admit, she was right. The Dobe could be loud and annoying, but they felt lonesome without him. Saturday night with just Sakura and himself was one thing, but every day without Naruto could get to a person. He was going to beat the idiot to a bloody pulp if he did not return for the actual holiday, _especially_ after having taken a mission without him and Sakura.

However, Naruto was not going to come home faster if they both fell depressed because of his absence, so, when he was sure Sakura was done eating, he grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the living room, leaving the dishes for tomorrow.

He was going to have to wake up early the next day to head to the compound (he shuddered) and help with the preparations for the evening. He almost felt bad for leaving Sakura with her anxiety the entire day, but his father was going to be angry with him for not spending the night at home again anyway, and he didn't need Fugaku having a fit, at least not until his brother returned from his mission, so they could both side against him. For quite a while, the clan leader had been disapproving of whatever his sons did, for a reason unknown to both of them. It was as if the loyalty of steel they had to Konoha and their loved ones was unnerving to the aging man. Either way, Sasuke decided it was best for both Sakura and himself to go to sleep, since the next day was going to be emotionally frustrating for both of them, until Itachi showed up.

Mind having been made up, he let go of Sakura's had and threw himself on her couch as if it were his own (which it pretty much was). To his and Naruto's eternal amusement, the couch was actually larger than her bed, and much more comfortable to sleep on. Sakura did not care in the slightest, however, since she only ever used the bed when her teammates decided to have the couch. Solitude didn't last long anyway, since one of the two was bound to become tired of the other at some point and stomp off to sleep with her. They had reached the point where all three of them were unaccustomed to sleep alone, thus the two sleeping on the bed always found the third tangled with them in the morning.

They had even been suspected of being in a three-way relationship at some point, but a Rasengan, a Chidori and a good punch later, the trio was labeled as just very, very, very close friends.

The unusually close relationship Sakura had with her teammates had discouraged many potential suitors from approaching her, but Uchiha Itachi had no problem. It was probably because he was Sasuke's brother, thus he knew exactly where Team 7 was standing from his sibling's own mouth. Sakura was glad nonetheless. She liked Itachi to the point of squealing, but would have never accepted any sort of bond with him if it meant losing the one she had with her boys. So far, however, Sasuke's slender legs were already tangled with hers to the point she didn't know which limbs were hers and which were his and her head was roughly buried in his chest (she pinched him to loosen his hold so she could breathe better) and there was no furious ANBU Captain with red eyes standing at her front door.

As Sasuke decided to be a jerk and only pull her closer to make her breathing process even more difficult, she mentally sighed, thinking of the Uchiha heir again. She couldn't help wishing it was him holding her so tightly, and not Sasuke. Undoubtedly, Sakura felt warm and safe with either of her teammates, but Itachi… She'd only just accidentally touched his arm once and a flow of electricity had surged through her. That never happened with Sasuke or Naruto and… She wanted more of it. It was foreign, but thoroughly captivating.

Itachi was much more physically attractive than his younger brother, that she had determined long ago – not that she was ever going to tell the prideful teenager she was currently cuddling with – but, unlike her first infatuation with Sasuke, her crush on his sibling had not been dictated by the man's appearance. She had admired everything about him even as a young Genin, and his chivalrous behavior had almost made her fall off her feet. However, all those qualities of his were not what attracted her to him like a fly to honey.

It was the sheer kindness of his soul that made her melt. He was a devoted pacifist, and loved his precious people – Sasuke especially – with a passion that was only invisible to those who refused to see. She could see how he struggled every day to be strong enough to protect those he loved, yet how feared he was, only for the power he meant to use to do good. These facts simply made her heart bleed for him, and ache with the wish to just see that man happy. She _wanted_ to make him happy, and he had _accepted_ that from her. It was only natural for her to fear she was incapable of doing such a thing. Who was she, after all? She was a little girl who could pack a punch. Did she have what was needed to make Itachi smile? Could she become the source of his happiness?

Sasuke stirred next to her and, in one swift motion, turned her around so that her back was glued to his torso. ''If you will just stop belittling yourself and sleep, Sakura…'' he grunted in her ear, voice raspy from exhaustion.

Sakura slapped herself inwardly. Her chakra had obviously darkened with her pessimistic thoughts and, being so close to her, her teammate had felt it. It was also clear her inner struggle was preventing him from getting some well-deserved sleep, so she apologized quietly.

He didn't answer and let out a long breath into her hair. Sakura smiled softly at his antics. Sasuke was surprisingly easy to get along with in almost any situation – just simply not when he was hungry or tired. He had a good reason to be tired, as well. Teaching someone as clumsy as her how to dance must have taken a lot out of him, especially since he'd been fixating rhythms at the same time.

Sakura suddenly felt horrible. It had been his day off, and he'd spent it taking care of what she needed instead of resting. It was not the first time one of her teammates did that for her, and she reciprocated often, but she could not help feeling guilty.

Therefore, she snuggled closer to the young man that had undoubtedly saved her first date and kissed his cheek, something she rarely did.

Sasuke cracked one eye open to meet a radiating kunoichi, and he couldn't help thinking she was bipolar, since she was smiling at him as if he'd just saved her life, when a few moments ago her depressive flares of chakra had been keeping him awake. Regardless, he grinned back at her rather idiotically, not aware in the slightest of the reason for her sudden flow of affection. She was Sakura, though, so she may as well have remembered a time when he was simply nice to her when they were children.

Turning back around, the kunoichi sighed contently. Naruto may not have been around to force them both onto the floor with his infuriating yet endearing sleeping habits, but some peace and quiet with Sasuke would do.

''Thank you, Sasuke-kun.''

''Hn.''

**Ta daaa! Did you like it? I have to admit, I'm quite happy with this little baby. I simply find the concept adorable!**

**Either way, I hope you folks like it as much as I do and it'd be great to have a review! I'll be back with the next chapter for my own satisfaction regardless, but feedback is always nice. Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey, you know what's nice? I'm back! You know what's even nicer? It's the holidays! Yay, I get to sleep! Either way, here is the second chapter that ends this little 'perfect world' fic. I'm happy with how it turned out, though it's different than what I originally had in mind. My imagination does crazy things occasionally. Either way, behold!**

**Observation: Please note that, since this is AU and the massacre never happened, I changed the characters' personalities somewhat to fit. I imagined Itachi would not have any reason to be the tormented man he was in the original (my poor baby ), so I wrote him accordingly. Anyway, I have****_always_****hated Fugaku with a passion for being a horrible parent (seriously, what kind of twisted father differentiates his children like that? To Sasuke, he was simply cruel: be like your brother, be like your brother. Bastard.). I also love the relationship between Sasuke and Itachi, and I hope I showed enough of that while still keeping them in character.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto today. It's just one of those bad days, y'know. Sucks.**

_Could You Teach Me How to Dance?_

_Chapter 2_

Sakura was good at being objective when needed. And when she looked at her hair, at her kimono and at the mere expression on her face, she was realistic enough to determine that the situation was _bad_. Some rebellious bubblegum locks had already managed to escape the elegant bun they'd been tied into and, in her hurry to make herself look decent enough for the exigent Uchiha Fugaku and his clan of arrogant noblemen, she had apparently rumpled her red kimono.

Standing in front of a mirror, she observed each and every of her eye twitches carefully, all the while feeling the small amount of patience she still possessed wear off rather quickly.

And, suddenly, it was all gone.

''Shannaro!'' she yelled in annoyance and mock fury, wrenching the small piece of fabric from her pink locks quite brutally and satisfactorily watching her hair fall in a rose cascade down to her shoulders. Truthfully, Ino was going to be severely disappointed by her chosen casual style, but Sakura simply could not stand the stress anymore.

A stress induced by the Uchiha clan's leader, no less. It was infuriating and even somewhat embarrassing how, even after years of being his youngest son's best friend, Fugaku still resented her and enjoyed inducing feelings of inadequacy in her already under-confident mind. It was true that, when being professionally associated with prodigies like Naruto and Sasuke, one that underwent normal development could be perceived as weak or unimportant. Sakura understood that fact, and yet craved to be recognized. She wanted to be on the same level as her two gloriously skilled teammates.

Sakura had thus asked for the Slug Sannin's guidance. She had come to love her Shishou like a second mother, and was extremely proud of her accomplishments she owed to Tsunade's proficiency only. Still, though, it was not enough. While she was defeating Sasori (almost losing her life, as well), Sasuke and Naruto were killing _Orochimaru_. Sakura did not deny her own opponent's remarkable abilities, yet they all knew Orochimaru had been a much more threatening enemy.

Therefore, the recognition she had so desperately craved after defeating an Akatsuki member was lost in the deafening cheers that were meant for Naruto and Sasuke only. Sakura was not jealous of them – she had been part of the applauding crowd, for goodness' sake – yet she was frustrated with _herself_. It was almost unbearable to see just how far behind she was in comparison with her partners.

More so, Fugaku was definitely not being helpful. He had acknowledged Naruto and had even almost adopted him as his third son, but Sakura appeared to be discriminated. The leader always agreed to allow the obnoxious shinobi to sleep over, yet the rosette was refused even to dinner. The fact that she had only visited the Uchiha compound once or twice in her entire career was discouraging, to say the least.

However, there was Itachi. Throughout her entire childhood, he had been the big brother Sasuke looked up to and who occasionally treated his sibling's small team to a dango dessert. Back then, he had been nice to both Naruto and herself, and they had even begun to call him 'Itachi-nii', to Sasuke's anguish.

As she matured, though, Sakura began to see more than just his imposing skill and kind nature. Being a kunoichi, the rosette specialized into reading people – be it their fighting style or their facial expressions – and, despite popular belief, Itachi showed exactly what he felt, through his eyes.

Those dark orbs were deeper than Sasuke's. They were a window to his soul, to his emotions, that he did not bother to hide – people usually did not look, anyway.

But Sakura did.

It was unmistakable, the gleam of pure love that adorned his magnetic orbs when he saw Sasuke. Sakura could swear upon her own life that her teammate did not even comprehend the sheer love his older sibling felt for him. Itachi would have gone as far as to destroy his own existence, if it meant Sasuke's happiness. Even the mere fact that a shinobi of Itachi's caliber was capable of feeling such powerful connections made Sakura's heart melt.

It was also in his eyes when he saw _her_, though not nearly as immense, not yet. It was a rather curious edge, an experimental attempt to deeper emotions. He did not love her as he did his brother, that was clear, but it seemed he was willing to try forming a close bond with her. And, by all means, Sakura reciprocated.

She truly did, because, if there was one man the kunoichi could picture herself falling in love with – madly, deeply – it was Uchiha Itachi. _He_ had been the one to congratulate her for the victorious battle with Sasori, _he_ had deemed her good enough to participate in a clan festival as his date, _he_ was a man unlike all others.

Sasuke had been her first romantic attachment, but one's first love, while being a retainable experience, is not nearly the last. And, while her feelings for her teammate had been real, something inside her kept believing that, with Itachi, there could be more.

If only his father stopped driving her insane, that is.

Sakura was thoroughly aware of the fact that her obsessive desire to impress Fugaku and gain his approval was unhealthy and, to an extent, unnecessary, but the teenager was a particularly stubborn individual. If the man's prodigious son and heir had enough faith in her to wish to be publicly seen by her side, then Sakura wanted to be exemplary herself. She was _not_ going to be any lower than all the other women who craved Itachi's attention and she was _not_ going to give Fugaku any reason to abusively use his authority to humiliate her.

As a result, she bent on her knees and gently picked the hair binder and several hairpins she had thrown away, sighing. She had had enough trouble learning how to dance – she wasn't about to ruin her and Sasuke's hard work just because she was not patient enough to remake a simple hair bun.

Forcing a calm expression on her exotic features, Sakura took a deep breath in a final attempt to tame her fiery temper. Her slightly awkward hands had only a bit of trouble putting her freshly washed hair in place, while she made a mental note to ask Itachi to go on less demanding dates in the future.

As her fury died down, Sakura managed to eye herself thoroughly, actually observing the beautiful parts of her exterior aspect as well. She had chosen a fitting red kimono, with delicate cherry blossoms imprinted on the soft material. By miracle, her bubblegum locks were staying in place, forming an elegant bun. As a final touch, Sakura chose a silver necklace from her jewelry box, silently admiring the shimmering rosy flower that rested on her collarbone as she tied it around her neck. It was the gift the Uchiha family had offered her on her fourteenth birthday, and it had been her favorite ever since – though most definitely not defeating the set of gloves they had sent the next year, that left her pale knuckles unwounded even after the most furious of punches.

Caressing the undoubtedly expensive jewel, Sakura smiled at her reflection. Perhaps it was not going to be so bad. After all, both Sasuke and Itachi were going to be there, and, as far as she remembered, Mikoto did not dislike her in the slightest. If she managed to avoid Fugaku's discouraging comments and stressful presence, Sakura believed she was going to be alright.

Suddenly, her doorbell rang, and her heart leaped instantly. Quickly glancing at her clock, the kunoichi realized it was 6 sharp. She could not suppress a smile: Itachi truly was the epitome of punctuality.

Walking towards the door with the smallest glint of nervousness in her emerald orbs, Sakura tried to swallow her tumbling emotions, only to be met with an even more forceful wave when her partner for the night was revealed.

Maybe it was the fact that he was _supposed_ to look tired or, at least, somewhat ruffled after an S-ranked mission, but the hormonal girl had to bite her tongue to refrain from gaping. Uchiha Itachi was _impeccable_.

He was wearing a _tuxedo_, of all things, and he was gorgeous. Sakura had not even known such outfits could be found in their geographical region, but it appeared that members of the Uchiha clan could own whatever they desired.

To add to her bewildered expression, he was also wearing a red necktie, making him a thorough match to her. How he had guessed her choice of clothing was beyond her, and she had a hard time not imagining how breathtakingly handsome he would look if he activated his Sharingan…

''Hello, Sakura,'' Itachi said curtly, her name rolling off his tongue in a way that was enticing to them both.

The rosette finally looked into his onyx eyes, only to see a flicker of pride and mock amusement that clearly notified her she had been caught staring. She blushed in embarrassment immediately.

It was all Itachi could do not to smirk. It was unbelievable how adorable her antics were and how her mere face made him feel at home.

His mission had kept him busy and, being S-ranked, it had also necessitated his ability to kill. However, it was rather hard to acknowledge that, earlier that day, he had been murdering rogue ninja, when a beautiful kunoichi was offering him the privilege of being the reason for the reddening of her delicate cheeks.

The sentiment of attraction to a female was still rather unusual, yet surprisingly pleasant as well, Itachi had come to realize. In his two decades of existence, he had not focused on his personal life in the slightest, much too preoccupied with his shinobi duties to bother. Sakura was a desperately needed exception.

At first, Itachi had been extremely confused. Sakura was his little brother's teammate and friend – and the entire village was aware of Team 7's suspiciously affectionate friendship. Therefore, his attraction to her was a very peculiar emotion: Sasuke and Naruto were fiercely protective of Sakura and, even though Itachi was not frightened by a couple of Chunin in the slightest, the Captain was not entirely sure whether his interference was going to be accepted by his sibling or not – if the rumors were true and Sasuke really was in love with his beautiful friend, then his happiness mattered more than Itachi's.

After more time of carefully observing their interactions, though, the prodigious heir was unexpectedly joyous to realize that, despite their uncommon sleeping arrangements and the unhealthy amount of time spent together, neither of the males in Team 7 loved Sakura romantically. And, when his own sibling began to actually _tease_ him for 'stalking his teammate like a lovesick puppy', Itachi knew it was time to act according to his completely new emotions.

The result was displayed in numerous thoroughly enjoyable conversations and even training sessions with the young kunoichi, and Itachi's urges changed drastically with each encounter. The growing need to be around her, the desire to be the reason why she smiled so brightly, the way he felt his gaze soften when he met those gorgeous emerald eyes of hers – reactions that were so _normal_ for a man who was falling for a lady.

It was the one thing that had him glued to her, he supposed: she did not make him feel like the skilled ninja he was; she did not make him feel like the heir of one of the most prestigious clans in the shinobi world; she made him feel _human_.

The fact that he found her bashfulness absolutely adorable simply came with the package.

''Hello, Itachi,'' she responded with a tiny smile, a lively blush still coloring her cheeks. Itachi rewarded her endearing reaction to his presence with a small smirk of his own; he could afford to indulge in a night of being human.

He was pleasantly surprised when Sakura took hold of his right arm rather boldly, strongly contradicting her previous nervous actions in a way the ANBU Captain could only label as fascinating.

As Itachi remembered to be the gentleman his mother had raised and complimented his partner's truly lovely appearance, he inwardly smiled to himself, extremely proud of his choice to date Haruno Sakura: the chemistry between them was nearly _palpable._

Now, if only his aggravating father was going to be capable to keep his opinions to himself when they reached the compound.

**Xxxx**

To Sakura's utmost relief, the person to open the door to the main Uchiha family's house was no other than Sasuke. Unlike his brother's exotic outfit, the younger Uchiha was wearing a traditional dark blue yukata.

Not nearly as gorgeous as Itachi, the kunoichi mused with a blush, but Sasuke _had_ always been, as Ino would say, 'a piece of meat'. The attractiveness they both emanated was almost unfair.

Sasuke's eyes brightened for one moment at the sight of his sibling and he heaved a deep sigh of utter relief. Sakura stared in surprise at his reaction. Fugaku had, most likely, given him hell all day to make the usually impenetrable Uchiha openly express his emotions in such a way.

Looking to her side for a second, the young girl saw a glimpse of concern and even confusion in Itachi's dark orbs and realized he had been taken aback by Sasuke's peculiar behavior as well.

''Otouto,'' the ANBU Captain said with an acknowledging nod, his tone clearly demanding an explanation. Sasuke hesitated for one moment only, before offering Itachi and Sakura room to enter.

Despite being concerned for her friend, Sakura could not suppress a tiny gasp at the sight of the sheer beauty displayed before her. The mansion was incredibly spacious and yet absolutely impeccable, to the point where she could even see her reflection on the floor.

Each and every corner had been decorated meticulously with glimmering fake snow, different statues resembling angels and reindeers, all covered by red and green bows and tinsel.

Everything was so _perfect_ that even a stray hair could make a person feel out of place in the Uchiha compound.

It was Itachi's unmistakable voice that snapped Sakura out of her reverie.

''Has something happened while I was on duty, Sasuke?'' the older Uchiha asked, all but a whisper. They were alone in the hallway and none of the three felt any other chakra signatures nearby, but Itachi was well aware that his clan was not to be underestimated – especially since the head of said clan apparently wished to declare war to his two sons.

Thoroughly aggravated, Sasuke rolled his eyes with a snort. ''Nii-san, he wants my _head_,'' he scowled, obviously referring to his father. ''Other than that, all is fine.''

Itachi inwardly sighed at his sarcastic and bitter little brother. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined the little pest he loved so dearly was going to 'mature' into the ironic and, dare he admit, even somewhat constipated adolescent he was now. Knowing Sasuke, he'd done _something_ to infuriate their father and now waited for 'Nii-san' to fix the potential disaster he'd created in a reckless moment.

Maybe he would need to share a serious discussion with Naruto about bad influence.

Before Itachi could respond, however, Sasuke fixated his onyx gaze on Sakura and grabbed her arm rather urgently.

''I'll have to steal her from you for a moment, though,'' he said, already dragging the extremely confused kunoichi to a room adjacent to them. Itachi lifted an eyebrow, but did not express any sort of disapproval. As teammates, Sasuke and Sakura occasionally needed to discuss classified matters and, being an ANBU, Itachi understood the need for secrecy best.

The fact that he suspected a mission was far from being the reason for their sudden departure to an area where he was not present was another thing altogether.

Sakura could only blink dumbly when Sasuke shut the door behind them, before the entire situation registered in her mind.

''Sasuke-kun, that was _rude_,'' she scolded him, annoyed when he waved her off with a shake of his hand. She would have to apologize to Itachi for both of them.

''Sakura, listen to me,'' he said forcefully, stopping the kunoichi's trail of thought in an instant. Sasuke only ever used that tone when the circumstances were critical on a mission, and it was serious.

''Sasuke-kun?'' she said hesitantly, instinctively sharpening her senses in case of danger.

''Sakura, no matter what _anyone_ tells you, _don't_ lose your temper,'' he emphasized his words, staring directly into her increasingly wide eyes.

She tilted her head in confusion. ''Why? What happened?''

Sasuke sighed, suddenly looking exhausted. ''Apparently, my father is so angered by the attachment both me and Itachi have to you that he wants to make you lash out at members of the Uchiha clan so he can humiliate you for being a loose cannon.''

Sakura simply stared at him, pondering the idiocy of his words. She opened her mouth to speak several times before finally settling for an insulted demand.

''What have I ever done to him?'' the injured pride in her voice was evident and Sasuke actually sympathized with her – his brother and he wondered the exact same thing on a daily basis.

''I don't know, Sakura. He's even started to belittle Naruto at the dinner table.''

_That_made her hair tips almost catch on fire. ''If anyone says _one_bad thing about Naruto in my presence-''

''You will deny it _calmly_,'' Sasuke strongly interrupted, meeting her fiery glare with one of his own for a fleeting moment, before his onyx orbs softened. ''Sakura, if there is one thing that is punished horribly in my clan, it is to disobey one's parents. Imagine what would happen if it came to _attacking_ one's parents.''

Sakura stared at him for a long moment, slowly connecting his words to their current predicament. When the implication that he would go as far as to attack his own father if he hurt her in any way was fully registered, the kunoichi could not defeat the urge to embrace her best friend to the point of suffocation.

He returned the bear hug, at least until he emitted a strangled choke that echoed rather loudly. Sakura immediately detached herself from her injured teammate, rapidly healing the one rib she'd broken with a sheepish giggle.

Sasuke shook his head, still in the process of catching his breath. ''Itachi is going to die by your hands, Sakura.''

Her idiotic giggle turned into a fit of laughter at his remark. Ruffling his spiky hair affectionately, she urged him to return to the subject of their light conversation.

''I'll heal him before he dies, silly.''

''I'm still put off by the idea of finding my brother drowning himself one day.''

''You jerk!''

When the duo finally exited the guest room, Itachi was not surprised to find them bickering like children. Even though they usually teamed up against Naruto, by all means, Sasuke and Sakura had their moments.

Fearing his little sibling was going to attend the festival with a swollen eye, Itachi cleared his throat, successful in gaining their attention. When they eyed him expectantly, he smoothly gestured towards two remarkably big glass doors, from where they could hear laughter and chatter.

''I believe we should make our appearance,'' he announced, lifting his elbow in an invitation for Sakura to interlock her arm with his. She accepted with a smile, clearly spelled by Itachi's chivalrous nature.

As Sasuke opened the doors, neither of the two could refrain from chuckling at the youngest Uchiha's snide, yet entirely truthful remark.

''Behold hell.''

**Xxxx**

As the two brothers expected and Sakura feared, the room was instantaneously quieted by their entrance. Numerous people who had been talking or drinking halted their activities to shamelessly stare in their direction, however, they were all aware that they were staring at _Sakura_. While it was a premiere to witness a supposed stranger attending a clan event without being sent to the Hokage immediately for causing an undesired disturbance, the intensity of their stares was disconcerting, to say the least.

Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the increasing sentiment of self-consciousness the kunoichi by his side was struggling to conceal. He did not appreciate such a reaction from his clansmen, especially since he had announced Sakura's presence the moment his offer had been accepted.

''Has the event we organized not been to your liking thus far?'' his lilt tenor echoed in the silence as he fixated his cold gaze on a woman he recognized as a distant cousin.

The unfortunate lady averted her gaze immediately, stuttering. ''N-no, Itachi-sama. It has been… very enjoyable.''

The heir nodded, looking around the room in a façade of confusion he did not bother to make believable. ''Then I'm afraid I do not understand why you are refusing to continue your enjoyable activities.''

Not a second after his words were spoken, the festival was resumed in a louder manner than before, the attendants carefully avoiding any direct or indirect interaction with the clan heir and his partner.

Sasuke tactfully lost himself in the crowd, sending one final glance to Sakura as a reminder of their previous conversation. She answered him with a subtle nod of her head, determined to remain undefeated by whatever obstacle Uchiha Fugaku decided to throw at her. She cared too much for both siblings to allow their Christmas festival to be ruined because of her.

She followed Itachi's slow steps, frowning slightly at the unnerved expression he was concealing, for her sake most likely. When the silence between them became awkward, Sakura forced a smile on her face.

''Thank you, Itachi,'' she said in a small voice, almost drowning in discomfort due to the invisible holes that were being burned into her back continuously. When he looked down at her, she decided to elaborate. ''For inviting me. This place looks lovely.''

Undoubtedly noticing how her remark only concerned the material beauty of the compound, Itachi turned to face her fully, grasping both her small, yet potentially destructive hands into his larger ones.

''I had intended for this event to be pleasant,'' he confessed softly, allowing a small amount of his disappointment into his voice while still maintaining his usual composed expression.

Sakura's heart churned. For a reason unknown, seeing that one man apologizing for something he truly had no control over, like an entire clan, was heartbreaking. She had no desire to be the cause of his disappointment, directly or not, therefore she gave him an encouraging smile, blushing ever so slightly at their proximity.

''I never said it was not,'' Sakura started, ignoring the nonplussed look he sent her at what he knew was a full lie. ''But maybe we could… detach ourselves from the crowd,'' she ended, glancing at the people around them warily as she spoke, as if expecting one of them to attack at any moment.

Itachi almost smiled at her unfounded wariness – no Uchiha (or Konoha resident, for that matter) that cherished their life would ever dare to _attempt_ to hurt Haruno Sakura: if the Hokage herself failed to murder them cruelly, then two very angered Uchiha clan members and a feral Jinchuuriki would, without a second thought. Then again, that was if the victim were still alive after Sakura herself was done with them.

Grateful for her desire to continue to attend the rather disastrous festival, Itachi nodded at her curtly, curling an arm around her waist and proceeding to lead her towards the left corner of the grand room.

Sakura's heart leaped into her throat when his hand rested on her hip, and it was all she could do to keep walking straight. She was well aware that she was overreacting, but, with her entire medical training, she was not capable to decelerate the frantic beating of her heart. Infuriating hormones.

If Itachi noticed the reaction the mere touch of his hand inflicted upon the kunoichi, he gave no signs of it, instead opening the wooden door that led to a large balcony. He did not particularly enjoy gatherings, so he looked forward to being alone with Sakura. Their conversations were always fascinating and, besides the pleasure of her company, he knew the view would be marvellous.

As a result, he was _slightly_ taken aback when he was met with the figure of no other than his own father standing a few inches above himself. Fugaku was known for his remarkable ability to hide his presence – not even his oldest son was capable of detecting him. When Itachi felt Sakura stiffen considerably, he made the important decision to train his sensorial abilities from then on.

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku, to Sakura, was equivalent to seeing the devil himself. He was wearing a tuxedo that was similar to his son's, however, his necktie was black and the foreign clothes did not suit him very well. She had to ask Inner Sakura to torture her mind for thinking that he looked like a waiter.

It _was_ rather amusing, though.

Sakura used the genuine smile her internal joke caused to her advantage, making herself appear pleased to see him. She bowed politely.

''Uchiha-san.''

Fugaku's charcoal eyes narrowed at her, clearly displeased by the kunoichi's cheerfulness. He knew how to distinguish real emotions from fake ones and, as infuriating as it was, the girl's smile was genuine. He'd have to remove it from her face.

''Haruno,'' he said her name as if it disgusted him, not missing the dangerous flare in Itachi's chakra as he did so. Fugaku was irritated, to say the least. He was losing his both of his sons' loyalty to the clan in favor of the village that was nothing without the Uchiha, the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki and _that thing_ that called herself a kunoichi. Uzumaki, at least, was a capable shinobi, he would admit. But _her_? What had _she_ ever done?

Sakura's eye threatened to twitch at the disrespectful use of her name, but she kept herself composed. That man was not going to be offered the opportunity to ridicule her, head of the clan or not.

Itachi tactfully decided to handle the conversation. ''Otō-san, we were heading towards the balcony,'' he said smoothly, and Sakura recognized the sentence as Itachi's respectful way of telling his father to _make room_.

Fugaku lifted a dark eyebrow at his son, as if questioning his observational skills. Truthfully, Itachi had known from the moment he saw him standing in the balcony, alone for no reason, that he had placed himself there purposefully. And the realization that, due to an ulterior motive Itachi had yet to discover, his father did not want him and Sakura away from the rest of the clan was not received well by the young man.

As much as Itachi respected his elders, especially his own flesh and blood, he did not tolerate being treated like a child. He was an adult capable of making his own decisions and, while he had certain duties as the heir of the Uchiha clan, accepting his father's abusive use of authority for personal benefits was the last thing on the ANBU's agenda.

Swearing for the millionth time in his lifetime that he was going to be a much better leader than Fugaku, Itachi ignored his father's presence and attempted to lead Sakura to the balcony regardless.

With a devious smirk, the older Uchiha placed a hand on his son's shoulder, stopping him from advancing any further. ''I am afraid I can't let you, Itachi,'' he said, closing the wooden door. ''The dances are about to begin and it would be a shame if you didn't participate.''

At that precise moment, Itachi understood the entire situation and feared he was going to achieve the Mangekyō Sharingan that evening. ''Under no circumstances will I tolera-''

However, Sakura interrupted, surprising both Uchiha. ''That's true, Uchiha-san,'' she said, wearing a deceivingly sweet smile of her own. Then, she turned to a composed, yet confused Itachi. ''We should go, don't you think?''

Fugaku was silenced for a good amount of time, before leading the way with a huff, to Sakura's delight. He did not know how to perceive her enthusiasm – she was about to be humiliated in front of Konoha's most powerful, wealthy and respected clan. Perhaps she was masochistic. With her aggressive fighting style, one could never know.

Itachi was flabbergasted. Surely Sakura knew the dances were practiced among Uchiha clan members only, didn't she?

''Sakura, would you mind explaining?'' he whispered in her ear, his arm still curled around her waist possessively. The young lady smiled up at him knowingly. ''I am a kunoichi, Itachi, aren't I?''

Before he could interrogate her further, they found themselves in the middle of the room, where the men and women were separated by an invisible line, waiting for the music to begin.

As Sakura stood in her place, recognizing the dance as one being done by men and women separately, she saw Sasuke, who looked just as satisfied with the clan's confused mumblings as she felt. It was idiotic of them not to realize what had happened, really, but neither members of Team 7 seemed to mind. Their radiating irritation was delicious.

Itachi, however, being the prodigy he was and noticing Sasuke and Sakura smirking at each other knowingly, was quick to put two and two together. When he did, he chuckled involuntarily, attracting a few curious glances. What a silly move for his father to make – Itachi would have been surprised if his little brother hadn't told Sakura every clan secret he knew.

Everything appeared to unfold smoothly and, as expected, Sakura knew every move by heart. It was when a group of Uchiha kunoichi carefully approached the medic in dancing steps that the events took a turn for the worst.

''Easy with the spinning, Haruno; you might produce a tornado,'' one whispered in her ear in passing. Sakura's first urge was to break her stomach in half, but she bit her tongue.

''I think the dancing is a little too much effort for you – you're starting to stink.''

Her eye twitched.

''I should have expected your stupidity. After all, you're friends with that Uzumaki foolish son of a bitch.''

That was it. She could take any insult directed at herself, but _no one_ spoke badly of Naruto or Sasuke in front of her and lived to see another day. _Especially_if swearing was included.

Just as she turned around with her fist raised to kill, in a motion that clearly screamed she could not care less about Fugaku's idiotic clan and the fact that those kunoichi had been ordered to anger her, Itachi caught her elbow from behind, turning her around to face him and proceeding to lead a slower dance as the music changed.

''Forgive me, Sakura,'' he whispered in her ear, using a tone she'd never heard before. ''But I cannot allow you to steal the satisfaction of silencing my cousins from me.''

She looked into his magnetic orbs confusedly and was surprised to see a glint of malevolence that had never been there prior to the festival. It was peculiar to gaze into Itachi's eyes and not see pure love and kindness, but Sakura _had_ been about to pummel another kunoichi with an amount of chakra that could destroy the entire mansion, therefore Itachi's change in attitude was welcomed.

Suddenly, Sakura found herself thrown into the arms of no other than her lovely teammate, who was grinning in a manner similar to Kakashi when he read his pornographic novels. She glanced to her side, only to see Itachi gallantly gather the kunoichi who had insulted her, leading them towards his _father_. Sasuke chuckled deviously.

''Sasuke-kun, wha-''

''I like to call this kind of moment, Sakura,'' he told her, pausing to add a dramatic effect to his statement, ''the rare moment when my brother _loses it_.''

The kunoichi gasped. It was a known fact among Konoha shinobi that the prodigious ANBU Captain _never_ lost his temper and handled every situation calmly and logically.

However, seeing Sasuke's unnaturally pleased expression determined her to think otherwise. As the youngest Uchiha gently led her away from the dance floor, Sakura stared at Itachi in awe.

The three kunoichi next to him were shamefully staring at the floor and the Captain appeared to have engaged in a rather heated argument with Fugaku. The general noise prevented Sakura from hearing the entire conversation, but Itachi's voice was unmistakable as he spoke, and the kunoichi understood some of his words: 'not a child', 'not tolerate this degrading behavior', 'the first and last time', 'made myself clear'.

It was enough to understand what they were arguing about.

To the guests' utmost bewilderment, though, at that exact moment, Fugaku stormed out of the room with a dangerous flare of his chakra, leaving his two sons smirking in satisfaction.

Sasuke stretched with his feline grace, holding back a yawn. It was the usual, he supposed. Itachi had successfully silenced their aggravating father once again, and Fugaku was obviously angered by that fact. However, the Chunin knew from experience that the head of the clan was going to act as if nothing happened the next day, continuing his futile attempt to convert his sons to his own narrow-minded beliefs that revolved around the clan only. Even though Sasuke had never particularly liked Shikamaru, he was tempted to say that his family was _troublesome_.

While Sasuke had expected the argument between his father and sibling, he had most definitely _not_ expected Itachi to victoriously march towards an intrigued Sakura, to grab her by the waist possessively and kiss her in front of the entire Uchiha clan.

After five seconds of being caught in a passionate lip-lock with the fascinating ANBU Captain, Sakura's mind was still processing the information. Itachi was a stubborn individual, however, and he refused to grant her freedom until she responded to his incredibly bold action.

Slowly and rather hesitantly, Sakura's lips began to move with his own and she brought her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. The blissful experience was deemed too short by both of them when they had to break apart due to lack of air, but they smiled at one another lovingly, forgetting the world around them.

An overly excited squeal that Itachi's subconscious fearfully recognized as his own mother's truly snapped them out of their small paradise. Mikoto's exaggeratingly enthusiastic reaction was followed by both Sasuke and Shisui's cheers and then the entire room erupted in applause, Fugaku's orders to dislike the kunoichi under any and all circumstances forgotten.

Sakura blushed furiously while Itachi subtly shook his head with a small smile. He had not quite been in his right mind after arguing with his father, and the urge to somehow claim the young lady as his despite whatever Fugaku thought had overwhelmed him, but, for once in his life, he was glad to have reacted impulsively.

Mikoto approached them joyously, a bright smile planted on her surprisingly young features. ''Congratulations, you two!'' she exclaimed, hugging a startled Sakura. The younger girl had known that the Uchiha matriarch did not dislike her, but the fact that she seemed to actually quite _like_ her was unexpected, yet welcomed. She returned the embrace with a genuinely cheerful smile, actually laughing at the woman's antics when she spoke again.

''Ne, Sakura-chan, it is a bit weird that you know how to dance like an Uchiha, but aren't one yet, you know?''

Itachi cleared his throat vigorously. ''Actually, Okā-san, I have observed that she cannot follow a set rhythm just yet – she may need a bit more training before you decide to legally adopt her as your daughter,'' he said, successfully making the point that they were not getting married the next day clear.

Mikoto laughed and Shisui and Sasuke smirked at their respective best friends.

''Man, Itachi, you sure kiss like an animal!'' Shisui chuckled a bit too loudly, because the warning glare the ANBU sent him was only half amused.

On the other hand, Sasuke was slightly more subtle in his approach. He looked at Itachi and Sakura and _smiled_. ''You two deserve each other,'' he honestly told them.

Itachi and Sakura only shared a glance and a smirk before unexpectedly embracing the surprised Chunin that was dear to them both. Sasuke stood still for a moment, but relaxed into their hold, bringing them closer with a fierce embrace of his own.

Needless to say, Mikoto began to cry.

All was well, until the doors flew open to reveal an angry ninja… in his pajamas.

''_Oi_! I don't care what big clan festival you people are having, but I just came back from this really awesome solo mission and I want some damn _sleep_, so quiet down, dattebayo!''

Sakura began to laugh in sheer joy. To think that, only one day before, she'd been so worried about what the aggravating Uchiha clan head thought of her when she should have simply spent her time loving her precious people. She was even willing to forgive Fugaku for making her night so complicated.

Or perhaps not. But, either way, Sakura was happy: she loved, she was loved and she was _alive_.

It was more than she could have ever asked for.

_~The End~_

**DONE! So, what do you think? Do you like it? Seriously, I would feel like the biggest idiot if I were the only one to like this story. I'm actually rather proud of it.**

**Anyway, leave a review if it's not too much trouble, but, most of all, have a merry Christmas with your loved ones, because they're the ones that matter, not your enemies. You can deal with those later.**

**See ya!**


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